My Personal Review for Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

When I heard my favorite author, Jennifer Estep, was stepping in the young adult world, I was intrigued...even more so when I heard it had mythology, gods & goddesses and more. With Touch of Frost, we meet Gwen Frost and the world of myths, legends and magic that make up the Mythos Academy. 


My Rating for Touch of Frost, Book 1 Mythos Academy: 3.5 Stars

Gwen Frost is different. She goes to a really different kind of high school, one where myths and legends come alive as magic goes through the place. But Gwen has a gift of Psychometry, where she can get the history of an object just by touching it and finds herself in hot water. First, there was a murder-mean girl Jasmine Ashton was killed in the museum of antiquities and now the Bowl of Tears is missing. If Gwen doesn’t find answers fast of Jasmine’s murder and the theft of the bowl will be the least of her problems.

I love Jennifer Estep’s adult series, Elemental Assassin, and was thrilled to see she has a young adult series as well. Touch of Frost is her debut in the young adult/urban fantasy genre and is full of wonderful surprises. From intriguing characters to a story-line that picks up steam as it goes that sucks you in to a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, Touch of Frost delivers a unique blend of mystery, and character led story and mythology all rolled up in the Mythos Academy Series. Jennifer Estep is a fabulously talented author who knows how to keep her readers intrigued till the very end. With the right blend of twists, mythology and more, this author delivers a stellar introduction into the Mythos Academy and all the characters.

Meet Gwen Frost. Always a bit different, she is a gypsy like her mother before her and with the power of Psychometry, she touches an object and knows its history-good, bad and in between. She is sent to the Mythos Academy, a place where legends, myths and magic roam freely. This author does a beautiful job in linking and creating back stories for the Greek and Norse gods/goddesses. I love mythology and this author did a good job in making them come alive for me. Gwen is a little hard to understand at times though, which is the one bad thing about this book. Granted it’s the first in the series and the author is setting it all up for the reader. I just wish Gwen got a clue so to speak every now and again as she came off as spacey at times, which had me scratching my head. The secondary characters introduced here kept me intrigued and moved the story along nicely. The sparks between bad boy Logan and Gwen had me wondering if they would ever get a 'happily forever after' or not. Gwen has wit which was fun to read and her comments to Logan had me smiling at times, going 'You go girl'.

Touch of Frost is a satisfying debut into the world of young adult urban fantasy and one series I plan to continue to read. Ms. Estep has another winner in her debut book and I can’t wait to see what happens next for Gwen and all the rest of the Mythos Academy characters. It is highly addicting and one that is worth a second read through. I can’t wait to see what else happens in this magical high school in the future. Definitely one worth checking out.

 The entire series so far includes:

 


Book 0.5: Prequel~First Frost (E-Book only) Can be found on author's website
Book 1: Touch of Frost
Book 1.5: Halloween Frost (found in Entangled Anthology, E-book only)
Book 2: Kiss of Frost
Book 3: Dark Frost


Find more information on the series go to Jennifer's website HERE


Buy Paperback at Amazon HERE

My Personal Review for St. Nacho's by ZA Maxfield

When I picked up St. Nacho's by ZA Maxfield, I was not prepared to find a series of stories set around a small beach side town that have some of the most wonderful cast of characters I ever read. There was something almost magical about this place in the sun.

Meet Cooper. He is running from a past that haunts his every waking moment. Finding Santo Ignacio, he thinks he has found a place where he can rest, relax a bit and maybe earn some money playing his violin. Meeting Shawn was an unexpected surprise. One he wasn't anticipating ever finding, especially as he tries to push him away even as he longs for Shawn's touch. Can he  let himself find the healing he needs in St. Nacho's in order to have the future with Shawn he longs for?

Shawn has the face of an angel but man is he a naughty boy whenever he is with Cooper. When he looks at Cooper, he sees a man hurting, pushing everyone away and is determined to show him the healing power of Santo Ignacio has on a person. Can he show Cooper that love is the most powerful healer of all?


Z. A. Maxfield creates a an emotional and powerful story that will leave you breathless. The writing was tight, storyline moves at a nice pace and on top of it all, the characters are quite enjoyable and quite relatable. Ms. Maxfield is a wonderful storyteller who keeps the reader on their toes as she tosses a few twists you don't see coming in the story and you get swept up in a story that will make you want to run off to St. Nacho's yourself, just to experience it for yourself.

I loved this story. It had a strong emotional element that stole my heart and I was blown away by the emotions you felt along side Shawn and Cooper. As they learn to communicate together, Cooper finds his heart healing and love sneaking up on him. The author really knows her characters completely and I love how she can get into their hearts to show us their vulnerabilities, fears and more. There is humor, romance and a sizzling passion that steals your breath. Shawn was one character I was totally blindsided by. He had the face of an angel but  inside lurked a naughty man who stole my heart completely. Even by being deaf, he was able to communicate to Cooper perfectly, in and out of bed. It wasn't a regular D/s relationship but it worked for them. The sizzling chemistry between Cooper and Shawn blew me away. It was hot, tender, sexy and sweet. It was like you were watching them fall in love, heal a heart broken and show Cooper how healing forgiveness can be. It was a powerful, emotional story that sucks you in and won't let you go until the very end.

St. Nacho's is a story that will steal your heart, wrap it's arms around you and won't let you go. ZA Maxfield is an author who knows how to create a story that will touch you in all the right places. If you are looking for an introduction to this author's work, then I highly recommend St. Nacho's and I recommend you make sure to have a bucket of ice nearby to cool yourself off after reading it.

If you are looking for a strong emotional story with intriguing characters and a storyline that leaves you breathless, then I highly recommend Ms. Maxfield’s St. Nacho’s series. A wonderful introduction to a series I am itching to read more of. I hope you join me as we journey to this sleepy town and as we watch the sun rise on the beach, let yourself fall in love with a place that heals the hardest of hearts.

My Rating for St. Nacho's is 4.5 Stars and a Recommended Read

You can find St. Nacho's at Loose Id, Barnes & Nobles and Amazon Kindle among other places.

My Personal Review for Stirring Up Trouble by ZA Maxfield

I had the pleasure of reading one of the funniest and well written books I have read in a awhile. Stirring Up Trouble is funny, heart warming and sexy all wrapped with a big red bow. Ms. Maxfield delivers a story that will charm the socks off of you and leave you smiling once the last page is read.

Now onto my review of Stirring Up Trouble......

All Toby Andrews knows is that he is a good Chef but has lousy luck when it seems bad things happen whenever he is around. He can’t help it when things go wrong, he just magically in the thick of it. Forced out of working the haute cuisine in the heart of New York City, Toby finds himself unemployed and eager to get revenge on the food critic that destroyed his dreams. Finding work at a local restaurant that is on its last legs, Le Potiron, Toby finds he likes the area, the people and especially the surly owner/cook, Evan Blankenship. Sparks fly between the two men as both men find out the lesson in success as they work together in and out of bed to make Le Potiron successful.

I got to admit, I love stories with a little humor tossed in the story to liven things up. Z. A. Maxfield does a wonderful job in creating a story that is funny, sweet and sexy all at the same time. Ms. Maxfield is a talented author who knows how to create the right balance when adding humor to her stories. Too much overwhelms, too little makes it seem off balanced. This author knows how to keep the balance and delivers a classic comedy story that will have you laughing out loud at times while rooting for Toby and Evan to get their happily ever after. 

What I loved the most was the setting. I could literally picture Le Potiron in my head and the delightful cast of characters that run it. All the characters were multi-dimensional, flawed beings that I could relate to. Toby had an ego but he was so charming it was cute. Evan hated people and being in the restaurant business, all he wanted to do was cook and not deal with them. Enter in Toby. Sparks fly between the two as Toby helps Evan and La Potiron become a success. Toby also learns that he cannot just steamroll over Evan either. It was fun to see these two work out their differences even as their relationship grew amid the pages. A few secondary characters had me hoping they return in the second book, All Stirred Up. They kept the story moving nicely and there was no interruptions in point of view. 


Stirring Up Trouble is a perfect beach read on a sunny afternoon. Light hearted, sensual and fun, ZA Maxfield has another winner. I am eager to see what goes on when we see what happens to Evan's brother, Brandon in All Stirred Up. ZA Maxfield has a talent in creating stories that have a sweet yet sexy romance with a dash of humor in it. I look forward to seeing what else this author can deliver for her readers in the future.


My Rating for Stirring Up Trouble: 4 Stars


Read Stirring Up Trouble and find out what happens for Brandon, Evan's brother in All Stirred Up.

My Personal Review for Promises by Marie Sexton

I picked up Promises because I liked the sound of the blurb. Wasn't sure what I was getting story wise but the minute I started reading I was hooked. This is the first book in the Coda Series and I have to admit, I stayed up really late just to finish it. Needless to say once pay day hits, I am getting the rest of the series to read. :-)

Now onto my review of Promises.....

Jared Thomas loves his small town of Coda, Colorado. He lives, works and has an enjoyable life…a bit one that is a bit lonely as well. Being the only other gay man has it disadvantages mainly there are no single gay men to have a relationship with. Jared was fine with that until Matt Richards walks into the door and into his life. From then on, it’s misunderstandings, falling in love, secrets and a whole lot of sexual tension between the two men. Will they be able to find a way to work past everything that is thrown at them to have the relationship they deserve?

I seriously don't know how I missed this series before now. I have seen the author around on loops, facebook, etc but never really explored her books. Well I am remedying that ASAP. Promises is an engrossing tale of a small town and the two men who find they are perfect for one another. What I loved the most about this story was how the author was able to incorporate small town life into the storyline. It made the story much more life like and I could really relate to the characters.

The characters in Promise had me at times, laughing, sighing and wanting to smack them for their stubbornness. They are so life like I swear I could find them in my small town and be friends with them. They were quite multi-dimensional and kept my attention till the very end. Jared Thomas is an openly gay man but doesn't flaunt it in his small town. He loves his town but the man prospects are dismal at best. Enter in new police officer, Matt Richards. He blew Jared away with his smile, the kindness he spies in his face and the loneliness he sees in his eyes. A kindred spirit they become friends and Jared is resigned to loving Matt secretly as Matt is straight....well Jared thinks he is that is. What results is secret desires, confusion, misunderstandings and more. Can Jared get Matt to accept and embrace his feelings or will Matt walk away from Jared forever? 

I love how this author really peeled the layers from him and Matt so the readers could see the heart of their issues throughout the story. Each time I felt like I knew the characters, another layer would be ripped open and you would see a whole new side of them. It made the story much more life like to me. There were a few secondary characters that left quite an impression on me so I am hoping the author revisits them soon.

Promises is more than a simple romance story of two friends falling for one another. It's about taking a risk to reach for your happily ever after. That, yes you are worth that love the other person feels for you. It's about hope, promises of forever, love, friendship and so much more. Ms. Sexton delivers a timeless classic in Promises and it is one book I can see reading again, multiple times. I am eager to read the next chapter in the Coda series and can't wait to see what happens next for Matt, Jared and all their friends in Coda, Colorado.

If you are looking for a new author to explore, I highly recommend Marie Sexton. She delivers character rich stories that will leave a smile on your face. I can't wait to see what else this author has up her sleeve for her readers in the future.

My rating for Promises: 4.5 Stars

The Coda Series:

Matt & Jared:

Promises

The Promise

Putting out Fires

Cole & Jon:

Strawberries for Dessert

Zach & Angelo:

A to Z

The Letter Z

Paris A to Z

More information on Marie Sexton and all her wonderful books can be found HERE

My Personal Review for Enchanted No More by Robin D. Owens

I loved Ms. Owner's Summoning Series through Harlequin/Luna Fantasy Line and she is back with a brand new fantasy/urban fantasy series. Enchanted No More kicks off the Mystic Circle series and I fell in love with it from the first page. Who wouldn't love fae, goblins, pixies, brownies and more enchanted creatures in their stories.

          Jenni Weavers is a Mistweaver and a half blood. Fifteen years before, her family is destroyed while trying to help the Lightfolk and Jenni hasn’t forgiven them or herself for the price her family paid that day. Forced to walk away from her last remaining brother, alienated from her lover and magic community, Jenni lives in the human world trying to ignore her heritage and live a human life. All was well until the Lightfolk come back into her life and wants the help of the last surviving Mistweavers for an important mission. Can Jenni forgive herself, the Lighfolk and find a way to stop the darkness that will consume all if she fails?

          I was absolutely thrilled to see one of my favorite authors start up a new fantasy series for Harlequin’s LUNA line. I was pulled into the story from the first page and couldn’t get enough of the Mistweavers, fae and other fantasy creatures that pop up throughout ENCHANTED NO MORE. This first book does a lot of setting up of the backstory for Jenni so it does seem repetitive at first but gradually the action picks up and the reader is then pulled into the story completely. Ms. Owens is a talented author who knows how to completely captivate her readers. Tight writing, intriguing characters and fast paced storyline help keep the reader glued to the pages until the very end.

If you are looking for a different sort of fantasy story to enjoy, then I highly reccommend Enchanted No More and settle in for hours of reading entertainment.

I give it 4 our of 5 stars.